Bug Reporting Guidelines [Please Read Before Submitting a Bug]!

zebular

In an effort to bring justice to the bugs that plague Neverwinter, we're keeping this thread as a how-to on submitting bug reports and explaining the process of how bugs get fixed.

Many of you are wondering why a bug doesn't get fixed when there are multiple reports. I'm here to answer!

Most of the time, it's due to the fact that it's not 100% reproducible or there are no clear steps on how to get the bug to happen. When QA looks into a bug, there's very little they can do by a simple sentence like "X is not working." When X isn't working, it could be due to a million things! There's simply no time to do massive halo testing, hence why we ask for "repro steps."

Repro steps are a step by step, specific list of how to get the bug to occur. For example, let's look at the SW bug where Harrowstorm didn't knock targets prone after applying a curse:

1) Log in to a level 60+ Scourge Warlock
2) Slot Harrowstorm as one of your Encounter Powers
3) Head to any zone with monsters
4) Target a monster with Harrowstorm
5) While Harrowstorm is active on the monster, Curse it by pressing Tab on them

Observed Result:
Harrowstorm doesn't knock targets prone after applying the curse.

Expected Result:
Harrowstorm should knock targets prone after applying the curse.

If you have any screenshots or videos, make sure to attach them!

That's it! Something that simple could bring that pesky bug to justice. In order to fix something, we need to know exactly where to look, hence the repro steps.

I encourage all players to submit repro steps for any new and old bugs in order to get them all fixed. Thank you for reading!

P.S. Please do not discuss exploits on the public forums. If you have repro steps for an exploit, let one of the mods know via Private Message. Thank you!

zebular

FYI on Bug Reports and Support Tickets

For PC Players, the best way to report an in game bug (that's not an exploit) is to log into the game and type /bug in chat, then fill out a report. After submitted in game, you will see the Bug Report Number appear in chat, copy it. Then go to the Bug Reports forum and make a thread detailing the bug (again, as long as it is not an exploit), and include your Bug Report Number in the forum report.

To report exploits, do the first part mentioned above by submitting it in game via /bug command and copy the bug report number. Then contact any Neverwinter Community Moderator via Private Message (or even via Discord private messages) and detail the issue to us, including the Bug Report Number. We will then forward that to the Devs.

Keep in mind, Bug Reports made in game do not get responses. You can tell the difference between whether you filed a Bug Report or a Support Ticket two ways. The easiest way is by the Ticket Number output to your chat. If it is one long set of numbers, then that was filed as a Bug Report. If it is two sets of six numbers (IE: 123456-789012), separated by a dash, then it was filed as a Support Ticket. The other way is to look at your ticket history and see if it is there, if it is, then it was filed as a Support Ticket.

Support Tickets should only be made for things that need a Game Master (Perfect World Entertainment) whereas Bug Reports should be things that the Developers (Cryptic Studios) need to be made aware of. Bug Reports go to Cryptic, Support Tickets go to PWE.

If you file a Bug Report as a Support Ticket, you'll be wasting your time and PWE's time as they will just tell you to make a bug report. If you're filing a Support Ticket as a Bug Report, then you'll be wasting your time and Cryptic's time and you won't get a response, making you think they're ignoring you when in reality, you're just reporting things to the wrong people.

The only time you should be filing a Bug Report as a Support Ticket is when the Developers or Community Staff explicitly say to. For example, you made a post about a known bug that caused you to loose an item. A Dev or Community Staff Member replied telling you that support is aware and you should file a Support Ticket so they can authenticate the loss and reimburse you. Another example would be you posted a known bug that caused your character to get stuck somewhere and no in-game means will alleviate the issue. A Dev or Community Staff Member replied telling you contact Support so they can fix your character's location.